Red Maple -- Landsburg cultivar

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of red maple, botanically known as Acer rubrum is provided. The new cultivar is distinguished from other red maples by its excellent hardiness in combination with excellent brilliant red fall coloration. The new cultivar additionally possesses a broad oval configuration, good vigor, and serves particularly well as an attractive landscape planting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The original tree of the new cultivar of Acer rubrum was discovered whenobserving its distinctive appearance while growing in a lawn adjacent aresidence at 802 South Seventh Street, Brainerd, Minn. The exact originof the tree is unknown. However, it is believed that the seed whichproduced the tree likely was formed on a red maple tree grown in thegeneral vicinity of Brainerd.

Budwood was removed from the original tree in August, 1977, and wasshipped to a planting area at Yamhill, Oreg. where it was budded on Acerrubrum seedling understock. The resulting trees were returned toMinnesota during the spring of 1980, where they were planted near St.Paul, Minn. for further study. Also, during 1981, trees of the newvariety were planted for experimental study at (1) the MinnesotaLandscape Arboretum at Chaska, Minn., (2) the North Dakota StateUniversity at Absareka, N.D., (3) the University of Wisconsin Arboretumat Madison, Wis., and (4) the Boerner Botanical Garden at Milwaukee,Wis. These studies have well confirmed the distinctiveness of the newcultivar.

It was found that the following combination of characteristics isexhibited by the new cultivar of Acer rubrum:

(a) assumes a broad oval configuration as a young tree and maintainsthis configuration to maturity,

(b) exhibits a vigorous growth habit,

(c) forms brilliant red foliage coloration in the fall,

(d) exhibits superior winter hardiness which is generally comparable tothat of the Northwood and Morgan cultivars, and

(e) generally assumes its fall coloration earlier than other red maples.

Asexual reproduction of the new variety by budding has confirmed thatthe new variety can be propagated in a stable manner and that its novelcombination of characteristics is reliably transmitted to succeedinggenerations. Tissue culture also is being used to propagate the newvariety.

The new cultivar has been named Landsburg cultivar, and is beingmarketed by Bailey Nurseries, Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., under theFiredance trademark.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show representative specimens of the newcultivar of Acer rubrum as depicted in color as true as is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this character. Thespecimens illustrated were observed during September at Brainerd, Minn.

FIG. 1 illustrates the broad oval configuration and the fall leafcoloration of the original tree of the new cultivar.

FIG. 2 illustrates a closer view of the fall foliage of the new cultivaras it appears on the lower substantially horizontal branches.

FIG. 3 illustrates the appearance of typical foliage of the new cultivarduring the summer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar of Acerrubrum with color terminology in accordance with the R.H.S. Colour Chartof The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England. The colorationprovided in common terms is to be accorded its usual dictionarysignificance. The trees described were grown in Minnesota.

The new cultivar is an excellent hardy rubrum for use as a landscapeplanting particularly in those areas where superior hardiness isrequired. The new cultivar exhibits a good oval form (as illustrated) aswell as a good branching habit. The broad oval tree configuration isexhibited as a young tree and is well maintained to maturity.

Typical leaves of the new variety commonly measure approximately 8 to 11cm. in width and approximately 8 to 12 cm. in length. The petiolescommonly measure approximately 4 to 7 cm. in length. New growth having alength of approximately 30 to 45 cm. commonly is formed per branch pergrowing season, and the distance between nodes commonly is approximately8 cm. The fruit commonly is approximately 2 to 2.5 cm. in length perone-seeded samara.

The brilliant red fall coloration has been demonstrated to beoutstanding at all of the test locations previously identified. Suchcoloration has been as good as or better than that of the othercultivars adapted to be grown at these sites, and is markedly superiorto that of the Northwood cultivar.

The brilliant red fall coloration of the new variety tends to be of adeeper red in those leaf areas which are most exposed to sunlight. Forinstance, such fall coloration commonly tends to vary between Red Group41A, Red Group 43B, and Red Group 44B depending upon degree of exposureof the leaves to sunlight.

Such fall coloration tends to form on the foliage of the new cultivarearlier than that of other Acer rubrum cultivars. For instance, atBrainerd, Minn., the new cultivar commonly tends to assume its fallcoloration approximately two weeks earlier than the Red Sunset, OctoberGlory, Bowhall, Armstrong and Schlesinger cultivars. Also, at thislocation the new cultivar tends to assume its fall colorationapproximately 5 to 7 days earlier than the Northwood cultivar.

The winter hardiness of the new variety is particularly noteworthy. Ithas successfully withstood temperatures as low as -40° F. and to therebyexhibit a winter hardiness which is superior to that of most other Acerrubrum cultivars. The winter hardiness of the new cultivar is believedto be generally comparable to that of the Northwood and Morgan cultivarswhich are known for their abilities to well withstand low temperatures.

The new cultivar exhibits a vigorous growth habit which is superior tothat of typical Acer rubrum seedlings and is generally comparable tothat of other Acer rubrum cultivars.

The leaves of the new cultivar tend to exhibit a deeper green colorationprior to the onset of fall coloration than commonly is exhibited by Acerrubrum. It is common for many of the leaves of the new cultivar toexhibit a concave curl. The three lobes of the leaves commonly are moreacute than those exhibited by Acer rubrum. Also, the leaf petioles ofthe new cultivar commonly are a deeper red than usual.

The buds and bark of the young twigs of the new cultivar tend to bedeeper in coloration than is common for a typical Acer rubrum seedling.For instance, the winter bud coloration typically in Greyed-Purple Group183A, the coloration of one-year old twigs typically is Red Group 46A,and the coloration of two-year old twigs typically is Grey Group 201C.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Acer rubrum tree,characterized particularly as to novelty by the following combination ofcharacteristics:(a) assumes a broad oval configuration as a young treeand maintains this configuration to maturity, (b) exhibits a vigorousgrowth habit, (c) forms brilliant red foliage coloration in the fall,(d) exhibits superior winter hardiness which is generally comparable tothat of the Northwood and Morgan cultivars, and (e) generally assumesits fall coloration earlier than other red maples,substantially asillustrated and described.